Tbilisi has one of the most exciting natural wine bar scenes in the world. A new generation of Georgian winemakers — trained in Europe but returning with the knowledge of their own 8,000-year tradition — has created a bar scene unlike anything else in the Caucasus. This evening tour walks you through the best of it: four hours, four bars, and a guide who can tell you exactly why that orange wine in your glass tastes the way it does.
Why Tbilisi for Wine?
Georgia produces wine in a completely different way from anywhere else in the world. The qvevri method — fermenting grapes skin-on in clay vessels buried underground — produces the famous amber or "orange" wines that have taken the international natural wine world by storm. The colour alone is unlike anything you'll find in a French or Italian cellar: deep gold, sometimes copper, sometimes almost rust-red.
In Tbilisi, this ancient technique meets modern sensibility in bars run by young sommeliers who have spent time in Paris, Copenhagen, and New York and returned home to pour their own country's wine. The result is a bar scene that is simultaneously deeply traditional and genuinely cutting-edge. You don't need to be a wine expert to enjoy it — but you will leave with a real understanding of why Georgian wine is different.
The Wine Bar Route
Wine Underground (Vino Underground)
The original and still the best. A cave-like bar in the old town lined with Georgian natural wines from small producers. The wine list is handwritten and changes weekly. We start here with 2-3 glasses and Georgian cheese snacks — sulguni, imeruli, guda — each with a different character and region behind it. Timur will explain the difference between Rkatsiteli in steel and Rkatsiteli in qvevri.
g.Vino
A modern wine bar near Rustaveli with a more structured list that covers Georgian wines from every region. The bar also pours some excellent Armenian and Azerbaijani wines for comparison — a rare chance to taste the Caucasus side by side. We stop for 2 glasses and a small plate of adjapsandali (Georgian ratatouille) or pkhali.
Local Sololaki Bar
We finish at a small neighbourhood bar in the Sololaki district — the kind of place where locals actually drink, not a tourist destination. The owner typically has one or two exceptional bottles from friends who make wine in their basements for their own consumption. This is where you taste something that will never appear in any wine guide. Prices are half what you'd pay in the tourist zone.
What Makes This Tour Different from a Kakheti Day Trip
Kakheti is about vineyards: rolling hills, family estates, harvests, large qvevri cellars you walk through in the daylight. It's a full day by car, typically 9 hours from start to finish. This tour is the opposite: urban, walkable, and focused on curation. It's an evening in the city — finishing around 10-11pm — with a guide who has done the work of selecting which bars and which bottles are worth your time.
They complement each other perfectly. Many guests do both: Kakheti in the daytime to see where wine is made, and the bar tour in the evening to taste where wine is best drunk. But if you only have one evening, this tour delivers more variety and more discovery per hour than any winery visit.
Why Choose This Tour
●
Small group, maximum 7No tour buses. You get to ask every question and stop wherever you want.
●
Bars locals actually useThe route includes a neighbourhood bar in Sololaki that no tourist map will show you.
●
Real wine educationTimur explains each wine — grape, region, producer — without jargon. You leave with knowledge, not just a good evening.
●
Flexible timingStart at 18:00, 19:00, or 20:00. The pace adjusts to your group, not a fixed itinerary.
●
WhatsApp response in 15 minutesBook, ask questions, change the start time — all via chat. Timur answers fast.
●
4.9 rating, 90+ reviewsOver three years and 500+ tours, this rating is consistent — check Google Maps.
Included
Private tour (Timur)
3-4 wine bars
Wine selections at each bar (2-3 glasses)
Georgian snack pairings
Explanation of each wine and producer
Not Included
Bar bills (wine and food paid by guests)
Budget ₾80-120 per person for bars
Practical Tips
What to wear. The tour is entirely on foot through the old town. Comfortable shoes are essential — cobblestones in Sololaki are uneven. There's no dress code at the bars, but Tbilisi's wine scene skews smart-casual.
Eat before or after, not during. The snacks at each bar are accompaniments, not a meal. Plan a proper dinner before the tour (from 17:00-18:00) or after it ends (from 22:00 — Tbilisi restaurants stay open late).
Budget for the bars. The guide fee covers Timur's time and expertise. The wine and food at each bar is paid by guests directly. Budget ₾80-120 per person for a comfortable experience — you can spend more or less.
Pace yourself. You'll taste 8-12 glasses across 4 bars, all in 50-70ml pours. The pacing is sensible, but let Timur know if you'd prefer smaller pours or to skip a round at any bar.
Booking. Write to Timur on WhatsApp: +995 511 272 623. Confirm the date, group size, and preferred start time. 10% deposit on booking, balance on the evening. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
No. This is an urban evening bar tour in Tbilisi — 3-4 wine bars on foot in the old town. The Kakheti tour is a full-day excursion to the vineyards, usually 9 hours. They complement each other perfectly: visit Kakheti by day, wine bars in the evening.
What time does the wine bar tour start?
We start at 19:00-20:00. The tour lasts 3-4 hours, finishing around 22:00-23:00. The exact time is flexible — we agree the start time when booking. Earlier starts (18:00) are possible for groups with early flights the next day.
Do I need wine knowledge?
No. Timur explains every wine in plain English — what grape, which region, what to taste for. The tour is educational as well as enjoyable. Guests who are very experienced wine drinkers also find it valuable because Georgian wine is genuinely unlike anything from Europe.
How much should I budget for wine and food at the bars?
Budget around ₾80-120 per person for wine and snacks across all bars. This is comfortable — you can spend more if you want extra rounds or additional food, or less if you're pacing yourself. The guide fee is separate and covers Timur's time and expertise.
Is the tour suitable for non-drinkers?
The tour is designed around wine, but Timur can accompany non-drinkers who want the cultural and architectural experience of walking through Tbilisi's old-town bar scene at night. Just let him know in advance so he can adjust the explanations accordingly.
Timur's Tip
Don't try to taste everything at every bar. The best approach is to order one glass of something you've never heard of at each stop — ask me to choose — and to pay attention to what you actually taste rather than what the label says. Georgian wine will surprise you: the amber colour comes from skin contact, not from oak or oxidation, which means the flavour is completely different from what you'd expect. At the Sololaki bar, ask the owner to show you the bottle before he opens it. He usually has three or four on the shelf that never appear on any wine list, made by friends who sell to him directly. That's the real Tbilisi wine experience — not a winery tour, but a conversation over a glass of something that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Ready to book?
Timur is a private English-speaking guide with a 4.9 rating. Groups up to 7 people, hotel pickup available, 10% deposit on booking.
Write to Timur on WhatsApp: +995 511 272 623. He replies within 10-15 minutes. Confirm your date, group size, and preferred start time. He'll send a booking confirmation with the meeting point, timing, and price. Pay a 10% deposit to secure the date — the rest is due on the evening of the tour. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 on Google Maps (90+ reviews). Three years, 500+ tours, groups returning for second and third visits — that's the best endorsement.
